Like it Is
by The Hopeless Optimist
Summary: Life doesn't always go the way you want it to, that's just how it rolls. University flavoured AU, AxelRoxas main plus others. ALREADY on hiatus so I can figure out exactly where I want to go with this.


'sup dudes. This is my first attempt at the wonderful world of Kingdom Hearts fiction. I figured I might as well start with the legendary REAL WORLD AU, university style, since every KH author is obligated to do at some point. Just a note, the university in question is a botched cross between British style uni and my own imagination, so if you feel confused about anything? Feel free to ask! I don't bite... unless, y'know, you like that kind of thing.

WARNING: This story will contain both shounen-ai/yaoi and Het, don't like? Don't read.

Disclaimer- Me no own, you no sue.

Now onto the good stuff.

Like it Is

By The Hopeless Optimist

* * *

The day had not gone well.

It had begun at precisely 8:30am, a reasonable hour to most, but in this case exactly thirty minutes too _late_ to get comfortably showered, dressed and fed in time for the first class of the day. Fortunately, or arguably, unfortunately, to problem for the skipped shower was solved only five minutes into Roxas' twenty minute walk. The heavens opened, and he was promptly soaked by the torrential downpour.

Despite his valiant efforts, Roxas still managed to arrive late to his class. Ansem, the lecturer of the Historical Literature class, known as such due to Hollow Bastion University's strict first-name-only policy (supposedly to make their professors seem friendlier and more approachable) simply sent Roxas a disproving look across the room, thankfully making no comments. The class remained unremarkable until the end, when Ansem designated a student to collect their latest assignments before leaving the room himself. Sighing, Roxas reached into his bag, briefly searching around for the assignment he had stayed up late to finish the night before, the reason he had overslept and the cause of his chaotic morning.

And froze.

Silently, he banged his head on the small desk, mentally cursing in a manner that would have made his stepfather proud. In his rush to get to class on time, he had completely forgotten to print out the damn assignment.

Someone poked him in the back of his head. "Oi."

Growling, Roxas scowled up into impossibly green eyes, "What?"

An eyebrow rose in response, and the guy waved the small stack of papers he had clutched in his hand, "Assignment?"

Roxas made a noise which, for reasons of pride and masculinity, he would have called a groan, but in actuality was more of a whimper. Ansem was infamous in his brutality in missed assignments, often docking large percentages off final grades.

The guy suppressed a grin and leaned forward. "You know, if you don't have it, I'll have to put it down on here." Ominously, he waved the papers again, making sure Roxas could see the class list on the top, where those who had not handed in their work were condemned by a single mark against their name.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, you fucker."

The redhead didn't bother to suppress his grin this time. "Just a little." he admitted.

Roxas' scowl deepened. "Well, obviously I don't have it, so just mark me down and leave me the hell alone, okay?"

Instead of doing as instructed, the other boy pasted on a blatantly fake and overdramatic considering expression "I could do that, but I think it's more in my interest to make a deal with you."

Roxas blinked. Well, that was unexpected, but he figured he had nothing to lose by asking "What kind of deal?"

"The kind where you do something for me, of course."

In an instant, Roxas' scowl had returned. "Look, bastard, whatever it is just get on with it, before Ansem gets back and sees you're standing around chatting instead of collecting papers, like you're supposed to be doing."

The other guy just shrugged. "He won't, I'm meant to be taking these to his office when I'm done, but," his face failed spectacularly at feigning innocence "I guess I could always, say, accidentally miss you out? Which would of course give you the opportunity to finish your assignment and give it to him personally."

Roxas considered, it wasn't a bad idea, and he certainly had the time to run to his dorm and back during his lunch break. However, the redhead had yet to tell him what he wanted in return. "What's the catch?" he asked, cautiously.

The evil glint those too-green eyes took on sent a chill straight to Roxas' bones. "It's simple, really, all I want is for you to answer one question, that's it, and Ansem will never have to know."

"So ask already!" although his voice was strong, Roxas was still highly unnerved.

The other boy leaned in, his face only inches from Roxas' own. "What I want to ask is," even closer, until he was practically whispering into Roxas' ear "What's your name, blondie?"

"Roxas. Roxas Strife." And deal done, he ducked away from the uncomfortable proximity and stood to leave the classroom, empty now except for the two of them, those who had still been waiting having left in irritation, leaving their work on the desks. Before he had taken a step, however, he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Don't I even get a thank you, Roxy?"

"Thank you" the words were said without any particular meaning behind them. He snatched his arm away from the other's grip "And it's _Roxas_." He hissed.

The bastard laughed, a loud, obnoxious noise that sounded something like a bark. "You have bite, kid, I like that."

Roxas had already started to walk away, but he paused to throw a slightly sarcastic "Good for you" over his shoulder.

"My name's Axel!" the boy blurted out, a tinge of desperation to his voice. He cleared his throat, embarrassed, and said "Got it memorised?" in a much more composed fashion, which somehow only served to make the phrase sound even more ridiculous than it already was.

"Whatever." Roxas stepped out of the room, leaving a thoroughly rejected Axel to complete his task.


End file.
